Bob Vila Radio: Exterior Painting Prep

Summertime’s a great time to get to that exterior paint job you’ve been putting off.

Photo: citywidemaintenance.com

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Listen to BOB VILA ON EXTERIOR PAINTING PREP, or read text below:

Of course, any paint job is only as good as the prep work you do first…but if your home was built before 1978, there’s a good chance there’s lead paint on it somewhere. Scraping and sanding old flaking paint can generate dangerous levels of lead dust that can seriously harm people, especially young children, which is why the environmental protection agency has started regulating work on older homes so carefully.

You and your contractor can now be fined for non-compliance, so always ask to see a lead-safe certification when you hire. Even if you’re doing the work yourself, get info on how to remove old paint safely at epa.gov before you do the prep.

Once the surface is clean, patch any small cracks and seams with caulk and apply primer over any bare wood before you paint. Paint formulas are always improving to beat the weather, but it’s generally best to paint when it’s cooler than 90 degrees out.

Bob Vila Radio is a newly launched daily radio spot carried on more than 60 stations around the country (and growing). You can get your daily dose here, by listening to—or reading—Bob’s 60-second home improvement radio tip of the day.